A Box Classic

The house has 2 bedrooms, with a further master ‘suite’ at the opposite end of the house, lording over the views to the west. The large kitchen, living and outdoor courtyard meld seamlessly to fill the space between, making a great home that fits perfectly into a difficult site and the need for indoor/outdoor living.

This elegant home takes its cues from the modernist movement. It sits on a 2403m2 steep sloping site, with vibrant red steel framing that supports the master bedroom above. A floor area of 120m2, including workshop and cellar below, and a generous deck area of 60m2 allows for an easy-going flow throughout the house with no wasted space.

The client’s brief was to design a house that gave them good outdoor flow on a tricky site, made the best of the beautiful views available, and gave them room to store their beautiful art collection. Since they have artistic and sculptural interests, it was important that the design and style of the house appealed to them and complemented their collection of sculptures, art and furnishings. The budget for the house itself was consistent throughout the process.

One of the challenges that Box overcame was the canopy that sits on the side of the house over the outside courtyard.  Finding the right material to suit the house, that could be supported by minimal amounts of framing that would be aesthetically pleasing as well as providing some shade and shelter to the open exterior space.  The use of coloured acrylic panels that are strong and striking was the obvious solution in the end.

The other major challenge was the external landscaping on a difficult site. Thanks to some creative contributions from the clients and local tradesmen, they were able to blend the house seamlessly into the site. Apart from functioning as a home, the house also needs to function as a space to display and store a fine collection of art. The house was designed to include a gallery where pieces could be displayed. High-level southern windows were also a feature so that a glass collection could be displayed in its radiant glory.

Photography Peter Rees